Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday ordered a vigilance inquiry into the allotment in 2013 of 11 industrial plots in Panchkula by the previous Congress government allegedly to relatives and associates of the then chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

“The plots ranging from 496 square metres to 1,280 square metres were allegedly allotted to the candidates who were either relatives of Hooda or those of his close associates and friends,” the state government said in a statement.

The Indian Express had first reported on October 19, 2013 about the allotment of the industrial plots to those allegedly linked to the ex-CM, including the widow of his nephew, the son of his secretary, the daughter-in-law of his OSD, and the son of a close aide.

According to records, the beneficiaries also included relatives of two Congress MLAs at the time and the daughter-in-law of a High Court judge.

The allotments were made by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) in July 2013 and approved by Hooda as its chairman on the recommendation of a standing committee.

The plots are located in Industrial Area, Phase-1 of Panchkula and cost Rs 64 lakh for 1280 sq m and Rs 31.74 lakh for 496 sq m. The market price of a 1280 sq m plot in the area was around Rs 6 crore at the time.

Under the rules of the allotment, those who were given the plots were also allowed to sell, gift or mortage them with the permission of Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), after paying the allotment amount.

On March 20, Haryana Industries Minister Capt Abhimanyu had informed Haryana Vidhan Sabha that there were certain “question marks about the genuineness of the candidates who were allotted industrial plots”.

He had also said that the state government would investigate the allotments.